Duncney One Shot
by alysonlancaster
Summary: In which Courtney is the one to find Duncan and Gwen kissing in the confessional after the London challenge, rather than hearing it from Tyler during the challenge in Greece.


Duncney One Shot – Episode Re Write

 **In which Courtney is the first to see Duncan kissing Gwen in the confessional, instead of hearing it from Tyler during the challenge in Greece.**

 **A/N – Yes, I know this one shot is completely unlike Courtney, but I think the Total Drama writers completely destroyed her character and all of her potential, so I rewrote not only the episode, but her character as well.**

Courtney sits in the cargo hold of the plane, staring at the ground resolutely. Her head is swarming with thoughts and her heart is oh so heavy and hurt. She knew the cargo hold is where Ezekiel had hidden when he snuck onto the show and she came here whenever she needed to be alone…and now is the time when she needed to be alone the most.

What she had seen, what she had just saw with her own two eyes, had shattered her heart into billions of pieces. She hadn't confronted Duncan or Gwen, and if she was being honest, she didn't want too. She can't handle that right now.

She was angry at first. So, utterly angry. But she knew if she confronted them, she'd look like a maniac. Her mind involuntarily goes back to what she had seen.

 _Courtney is walking to the confessional, ready to tell the camera how happy she was to have Duncan back. She was smiling, her heart happy and whole. She couldn't explain how worried and scared she had been for her boyfriend when he ditched the show back in Egypt._

 _But she found him tonight, in London, and she had never felt such affection and relief before for anyone. She knew she was head over heels in love with him, but she wasn't that good at expressing how she felt so she just punched him for leaving her and then kissed him for coming back._

 _The way she had felt when he had held her in his arms, squeezing her so tight, was unexplainable. She had stayed up for nights when he was gone, wondering if he was okay and where he was. She didn't have to feel that way anymore, because her Duncan was back, and she could finally tell him how she really felt._

 _Her smile grows wider as she realizes that they can truly be together now, with no bars held. She had ripped up the stupid list of rules she had tried to make him follow. She didn't care about that anymore. What she cared about, was having him in her life. That's all she wanted. That's all that mattered to her anymore._

 _She didn't even care if she won this stupid competition. She just wanted him with her. She couldn't wait to tell him! But first, of course, is to tell the millions of viewers what she's going to tell him, so she can get some practice in. She hated being unprepared for anything. She always needed to practice something at least once before doing it._

 _She places her hand on the confessional door, before realizing it was closed. Someone must already be in there. She sighs a bit and turns around, but then she hears something odd. It sounds as if someone in there is…kissing? Who on the show are dating? And why doesn't she know about it?_

 _She's extremely curious. Even though she knows it's wrong and horrible to spy on someone, she gently pushes the door open, knowing the lock is busted. She sees a familiar green mohawk, his soft, cotton black shirt, and his signature shorts. Her heart drops to her stomach when she sees the arms wrapped around him._

 _One hand is very pale, the other burnt red. Only one person had sunburnt her hand and that was Gwen. As she looks closer, she sees her black and blue hair, her pale face, and her lips, all over Courtney's boyfriend._

 _Anger burns white hot throughout her and she almost slams the door open. But then she thinks about it for a moment, looking closer at the scene before her. She drops her fist to her side, from where it had been poised to break down the door._

 _The anger fades and sadness fills the spaces the anger had left, making tears burn in her eyes and her heart finally breaks. She can feel the jagged edges cutting her stomach open. Her lip wobbles and her throat tightens._

 _She lets go of the door, letting it shut gently. She stands there a moment, wobbling on her feet. She cannot believe that actually just happened. A tear rolls down her cheek, and then another, and then one more. She turns around and quickly walks to the cargo hold. She shuts the door behind it, falling onto the door and sliding down, her sobs breaking out of her body painfully._

And here she is now, slightly numbed. She can still feel her heart aching. She loved him, truly loved him, and he had broken her heart on international television, with her closest friend. She wants to be mad at Gwen, she really, really does. But she can't.

She can't blame Gwen for falling for Duncan's charms. He was so good at flirting and being charming. They had so much in common, while Courtney and Duncan were complete opposites. She really should have been expecting this. In fact, a piece of her had known something was going on, but she had ignored it, had pushed it aside, assuring herself that Gwen and Duncan would never do that to her.

Courtney had seen them getting close, had seen the way Duncan looked at Gwen the way he was supposed to look at her, had seen Gwen stare at him a little too long. Courtney had seen it all. She had confronted them both about it, on numerous occasions.

She had asked Gwen to stop being so flirty with her boyfriend. She had pleaded with Duncan to stop hanging out with Gwen because she had a bad feeling about it all. But neither of them had listened to her, neither of them caring about her say in it.

Because, as Duncan's girlfriend and Gwen's best friend, she did have a say in it. If they had truly cared about her, they would have at least attempted to stay away from each other, or at the very least, tell her they couldn't do it and wanted to be together!

Courtney knows that she made a lot of major mistakes in her and Duncan's relationship, and she was ready to apologize and tell him how she truly felt about him. But then she saw him…with her closest friend here… She knows there is no going back from this, and it breaks her heart.

Her heart squeezes and she breaks into another round of sobs, but these are silent, and they hurt her so badly. Her entire body convulses with each sob as she pours everything she felt for him into her cries. She sniffs, rubbing at her eyes, tears openly streaming from them.

She knows what she has to do. And it makes her cry even harder. She has to break up with Duncan. If she isn't giving him what he wants, if she isn't enough for him, she has to let him go so he can find what it is that makes him feel as happy as he made her. If Gwen loves Duncan the way that Courtney does, then she should be allowed to have a chance at love.

How can she even tell him without letting him know she knows about him cheating on her? How does she even do it? How can she find the words that directly contradict everything she feels for that boy? He is so arrogant, and rude, and egotistical, and charming, loving, caring, sweet, but not hers. Not anymore. Not fully.

She swallows another sob, her eyes burning from all of the tears she's already put herself through. But she can't stop crying. She can't stop picturing Duncan kissing Gwen and Gwen kissing Duncan. He kissed her, knowing that Courtney was his girlfriend. And Gwen kissed Duncan, knowing that her best friend was his girlfriend.

The cargo hold door opens and Courtney turns away, speaking firmly.

"Duncan, we need to break up," she says clearly, making her voice strong and clear. There is no sign of weakness or sadness in her tone.

"You're breaking up with Duncan?" Heather's shocked voice ringing out around her.

"Heather?" Courtney asks in surprise, turning around to see the Queen Bee standing before her. Heather opens her mouth to speak but then she looks closer at Courtney.

"Have you been crying? You have! What's wrong?" Heather actually sounds concerned for her. She sounds as if she cares for the reason that the petite teenager is crying her eyes out. Courtney wants to be harsh, to snap at her, but she can't find the energy to do it.

"I saw something that I wasn't supposed to see," Courtney admits, voice cracking as tears blur her vision once more. Her stomach heaves as she tries to breathe normally.

"What was it?" Heather is dangerous now, wanting to kill whatever had made someone as strong and fiery as Courtney turn into the sad, mangled wreck that she is now. The normally defiant Princess was curled into herself, face blotchy, eyes bloodshot and haunted, and the entitlement had completely disappeared from her tone. Courtney was simply a ghost of the girl she was only mere hours ago.

"Duncan…kissing Gwen." Courtney begins to sob again as she says it aloud for the first time. Her sobs are quiet, barely there, the worst kind of sobbing. The cries where you know something has hurt someone so deeply. "I loved him, Heather, but I know why he did it and that's why I still love him. I was horrible to him. I was always insulting him, always wanting to fight. I made that stupid contract with all of those rules for him to follow! Everything I told him to change, I loved! I was a terrible girlfriend and he knew it. I practically drove him to Gwen and parked him there, telling him to stay like he was a dog."

Heather shakes her head, "while you weren't the best girlfriend you maybe could have been, he had no right to kiss gothie while he is with you. And just so you know, he was just as bad as you. He insulted you too, he always instigated the fights. And he's been flirting with Gwen since last season. He had no right to cheat on you, Courtney." The Asian sits next to the Hispanic as silence reigns over them.

"Thank you, Heather," Courtney whispers, her voice barely there.

"You're the only one left that I can stand, and believe it or not, I do actually like you." They share a small smile before Heather remembers what Courtney had first said to her, "you're breaking up with him?"

The broken girl nods sadly, "yes. While I still love him, I can't be with him. Not when he's hurt me like this. Besides, he obviously wasn't happy with me if he felt the need to go kissing someone else." Heather nods, seeing the sense in that.

"Look, you don't need to tell Duncan right now. Tell him tomorrow. Right now, you need to let it out, and luckily, I have strong shoulders. Come here, Court, cry it out," Heather says soothingly, putting her arm around the Hispanic.

Courtney welcome the comfort and cries and cries and cries until there are no more tears left in her body. Then, Heather leads her back to second class, where they sit next to each other. Heather watches over Courtney protectively.

The next morning, before Chris calls another challenge, Courtney is ready to break up with Duncan and leave the show. Heather had asked her to stay, but when Courtney was on the verge of breaking down again, she had left it alone and told the heartbroken girl that after the show they needed to hang out and that she'd miss her greatly.

Courtney goes into the confessional, smiling softly at the camera, "I'm breaking up with Duncan right now. I know he cheated on me with Gwen last night because I saw him do it. I'm not confronting him or Gwen and I'm not wasting time hating either of them. I love Duncan, but if I'm not enough for him, I want him to be able to find someone that is. And maybe Gwen is what he wants and needs. Duncan, if you're watching this ever, I don't hate you. I really, really don't. I'm angry and I'm hurt and I'm so sad, but I could never hate you. But with that, I can never forgive you for this and I can't move on from this. Gwen, I don't blame you for falling for him in the slightest, but I am hurt. I don't think I can be friends with you again, after this. But I won't ever be rude or mean to you.

"Aside from that, I'm also quitting the show. This show has turned me into a nightmare and I can't do it anymore. Goodbye, Total Drama fans. It's been a long and hard run here, but I've survived three seasons and it's all I'm doing." She nods at the camera before standing up and leaving the confessional for the last time.

Courtney walks into the kitchen area and coincidentally finds her boyfriend talking to the girl he cheated on her with. She forces a smile on her face and walks over to him, tapping him twice on the shoulder.

"Hey, Duncan, do you think we could talk for a minute in private, please?" She asks kindly, putting on her best brave face. She then looks past him, to a slightly afraid looking Gwen, and says, "good morning, Gwen."

"Good morning," the goth girl echoes quietly.

Duncan stands up and allows Courtney to lead him to the cargo hold.

"What's up, princess?" He asks cockily, smirking. He's leaning up against the metal wall, arms crossed and one ankle resting over the other. It's a classic Duncan pose, one that Courtney adores to no end, because it's just so Duncan.

"I think we should break up," Courtney says carefully, each word coming out slowly and clearly. She doesn't know how she's not crying or showing any semblance of emotion. Duncan's eyes widen and his jaw drops. "I'm sorry for all I did to you, including that dumb contract. I should never have done it. I hope, that after all we've been through together, we should be friends, but I think that's all we should be."

" _You're_ breaking up with _me_?" Duncan asks, clearly in shock.

Courtney takes a deep breath, her heart unable to break any more, "yes, Duncan, I'm breaking up with you. And I'm quitting the show. I just can't do this anymore. It's turned me into a monster that I don't want to be. I should go now, I'd like to say goodbye to Heather before I jump out of a moving plane willingly."

Duncan doesn't say a word as she leaves, his own heart hurting with every step she takes and every step away from him she walks. A few minutes go by and he's still standing in the exact same spot he's been in.

"Everyone to the elimination room, NOW!" Chris's voice booms over the loudspeaker, loud and angry. Duncan forces himself to walk their, standing next to Gwen, who asks him what's wrong and what did Courtney want to talk about? He can't answer her; his mouth isn't working properly.

"Someone, namely COURTNEY, has decided she wants to quit the show and abandon any and all hopes to winning the one million dollar prize!" Chris shouts, pointing an enraged finger at her. "And legally, if someone wants to quit the show, I have to let them and leave them with an actual working parachute. So, here, Courtney, take this and leave."

"Thanks, Chris," Courtney tells him, putting the parachute on her shoulders. She takes one last look at everyone around her. "Goodbye." Heather suddenly runs forwards and hugs her.

"You're my favorite," she whispers.

"You're mine, too, Heath," Courtney tells her. They break apart and Chris opens the door, wind rushing in. "This is going to be so fun!" She squeals, uncharacteristic of her. Jaws drop, even Chris's.

"You're…excited…to jump out of a plane?" Alejandro asks slowly, not believing it.

"Yes, I actually am!" Courtney fist bumps the air. "I hope I land somewhere cool. Goodbye, everyone!" She then takes a running start and jumps out of the door. Everyone rushes over to see her figure rapidly disappearing. "WAHOO!" Her screams of joy fade up to them as she vanishes from sight.

"Ugh!" Heather yells, throwing her arms up in the air and leaving the room unhappily. Slowly, everyone begins to leave, talking about how weird it is for Courtney to be enjoying jumping out of a plane. Only Duncan remains at the now-closed door, staring at the space she had just left.

His heart is broken, and he doesn't know why, but at the same time he does. He loved her. He thought he had lost his feelings for her because of her rules, her bossiness, and how annoying she was. But he had loved her through all of it. He thought he had liked Gwen, but now that his girlfriend, - ex-girlfriend -, was gone, he realized she was nothing but a friend to him.

Another thought strikes him: when did Courtney and _Heather_ become friends? He shakes his head and goes back to the mess hall, where everyone is talking, even Heather, but she seems upset and livid.

"I can't hold it back," Tyler shouts suddenly, making Duncan angry. "I saw Duncan and Gwen kissing!"

"Dude!" Duncan seethes.

"I already knew," Heather unexpectedly says, looking at him with anger.

"You did? How?" Gwen asks in surprise as she stares at the Asian who whirls on her.

"Courtney told me. Courtney saw it first! And she walked away. You should have seen her last night, how hard she was hurting, how badly it affected her! You should have seen the girl you forced her to become, by breaking not only her trust, but her heart too. You know, Duncan, Gwen, she doesn't hate either of you? She said she'd never be able to forgive you or move on from it, but she wouldn't be rude or mean. That says a whole lot about who she is, and shows exactly what you two are like. And now I've lost the best player in this competition!" Heather shrieks, stalking away.

"Courtney…knew? And didn't do anything about it?" Alejandro asks in utter shock, having seen how crazy Courtney had been lately.

"She broke up with me this morning," Duncan admits. "But she was so…calm about it. She even said she wanted to still be friends."

Gwen looks away, seeing the love he still holds for Courtney written all over him. She should have known she was nothing to him, but she was reeled in by his charms and the fact that they were so alike in personality and interests. Not only did she lose the guy, but she lost the only friend she had on the show.

"And she quit the show! The Courtney I know would fight to the death over this show," Duncan says defensively.

"Maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought you did," Cody snaps, hurt over the information that Duncan kissed his Gwen.

Normally the punk boy would rip into Cody, but he doesn't seem to want too or even care about hurting him for what he had said.

"Maybe I didn't," Duncan echoes, looking at the ground in silence, feeling utterly sad and alone.

His heart was now broken as well. And while he didn't think that he'd be okay again, Courtney knew she would be, even though it hurt like hell. Courtney knew she could and would be happy again, but the longer Duncan stares at the ground, he doesn't know if he can be happy again, not without his princess.


End file.
